


heart turning in circles

by 5ftjewishcactus



Series: Nanny AU [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Family Fluff, Holidays, Jewish Character, Jewish Holidays, M/M, Multi-Holiday Home, jewish Connor, mention of previous loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 13:18:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17468321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5ftjewishcactus/pseuds/5ftjewishcactus
Summary: Christmas and Chanukah coinciding for Hank and Connor's first holidays together, with their son Cole, his second Christmas but first Chanukah. There's lots to celebrate, lots to remember, to pass on and share. To Hank, it's also so wonderful and perfect. His happy little family. He only wants more.





	heart turning in circles

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically a future fic for a fic I'm still writing where Hank hires Connor to be the nanny for Cole but they fall in love. I just couldn't resist the idea of writing a fic where the Anderson family celebrates both Christmas and Chanukah. I know it's past the holidays, but I started writing this back in December. Didn't finish it until recently because work (bleh). Also, I do have Chanukah spelled both Chanukah and Hanukkah in this fic because why not. Also for the timeline of this fic, Hank is 45 and Connor is 23 and Cole is 1.

The mish-mash of red and green decorations mingled with blue and silver ones assaulted Hank’s eyes the minute he stepped inside. Bizarre combinations of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Hanukkah” adorned the mantel and walls. Decorative jingle bells next to sparkling dreidels. He and Connor had talked about the upcoming holidays, about Chanukah beginning that night, on the 20th of December, only five days before Christmas. Connor wasn’t necessarily the most observant Jewish person, but he tried when he could and he wanted to share Chanukah with Hank and Cole. Hank understood. He’d outgrown all of the fuss of Christmas by the time he was twenty, but after Cole was born, he’d found the joy in it again.

This year was especially important because it was their first as a family. Last year it had just been Hank and Cole, Hank still on paternity leave following Cole’s birth. Connor hadn’t come into their lives until the end of January. They hadn't started dating until a few months later. So this was important.

“Dada!” Cole squealed, spotting Hank as he was carried into view by Connor.

“Hank, you’re home early.” Connor walked up to Hank and leaned in for a quick kiss.

“I was hoping to surprise you.”

Cole reached his tiny hands out to Hank who gladly held his son.

“Dada,” Cole babbled, gently tugging on Hank’s beard as he stuck his other hand in his mouth.

Connor darted across the room and picked up a toy from the couch. He brought it back over to Cole who reached for it with his hand that had been tugging on Hank’s beard. As Connor handed it over, Hank noticed it was a plush dreidel. Cole held the toy to his chest and removed his other hand from his mouth to gum one soft corner of the toy.

“Where’d you get that?” Hank asked.

Connor chewed his bottom lip a moment. “We may have gone to Target.”

Hank shook his head. He glanced around the room again and sighed.

“It’s too much,” Connor said.

“No. It’s not. Only a little more than I was expecting.” Hank balanced Cole on his hip so he could put his other arm around Connor. “It’s perfect.”

Connor smiled as he ducked his head down. Hank kisses his forehead.

“I did leave setting up the tree until you got home. I figured that was definitely something we should do as a family.”

He motioned towards the haphazardly taped together box for the fake Christmas tree Hank had purchased the year before. Next to it was the box of ornaments, the few Hank had kept from his childhood plus a couple he’d picked up for Cole’s first Christmas. Next to it was a smaller box that Hank didn’t recognize.

“What’s that box?” he asked.

“Oh my mom stopped by with some of the ornaments from when I was younger.”

Hank smiled. Connor's adoptive mother, Amanda, had done her best to let Connor and his younger Cain grow up embracing their Jewish heritage after their birth parents had died. But it had been difficult and they'd ended up embracing a lot of non-Jewish traditions, too. Such as Christmas. Hank realized he'd probably have to get used to the idea of mish-mashed holidays. He bounced Cole on his hip who giggled. Connor smiled at them both and ruffled Cole’s hair.

“I’m sorry I missed her,” Hank said.

“She’s sorry she missed you too.” Connor moved back over to the couch, bending down to grab a few more decorations from the coffee table. “I was thinking maybe we could do a family dinner one night, the three of us, my mom and brother, your sister if she can make it.”

Hank shifted Cole to his other hip and moved to sit down on the couch. “I think that’s a good idea.”

Connor smiled and continued to hang decorations. Hank looked down at Cole, bouncing him on his knee as Cole giggled and squeezed his dreidel plush which began playing” I Have a Little Dreidel.” Hank began to laugh.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s a childhood tradition to learn this song. Plus, Cole was fussy at the store and this cheered him up. How could I say no?”

Hank shook his head. “That’s gonna get you in trouble as he gets older.”

“I know.“

Cole babbled along to the song until it stopped. He shook it a couple of times and when it didn’t start playing the song again, he frowned. Hank acted quickly, squeezing the toy so it would play the song again. Cole smiled and laughed.

“I’m sorry,” Connor said.

“Don’t be. I’m guilty of spoiling him too.”

Connor finished hanging the last of the decorations before joining Hank on the couch. He leaned into Hank, head rested on his shoulder.

“So you won’t be upset when I show you what I got him for Christmas-slash-Chanukah.”

Hank put his free arm around Connor.

“As long as you didn’t get him one toy for each night of Chanukah.”

“Of course not. Plenty of new clothes though.”

Cole shook the toy again and Connor squeezed it for him again. Cole babbled happily and Connor tickled his tummy, making him giggle and squirm.

“Dada,” Cole said, babbling and giggling as he shook his toy in Connor’s direction.

“Abado, huh? Is that so?” Connor asked.

“Dada.” Cole’s free hand reached for Connor even as he continued to shake his dreidel plush.

Connor shifted to pick Cole up and held him close. He kissed his cheek, even as Cole tried to squirmed away and continued to babble incoherently.

“I love you, Cole. So much.”

Hank smiled at his little family. A year ago, he never would’ve imagined that he’d be dating a man half his age who loved him and his son. He’d been looking for a nanny for Cole, but love had found him instead.

Connor looked at Hank and smiled.

“I love you, too.”

“I love you more.”

Connor leaned in and kissed Hank. Cole babbled between them.

“We love you the most,” Hank said.

Connor held Cole between them so they could both kiss him. He giggled between them. A timer went off in the kitchen. Hank held Cole while Connor went into the kitchen.

“Whatcha cookin’?” Hank asked.

“Crock-pot beef stew,” Connor replied.

“Mmm.”

Cole babbled incoherently wanting to be included in the conversation. Hank held Cole close and kissed him again. Coming home after long days at work to Cole and Connor was the best part of Hank’s day. Had been even before he and Connor had started dating. He’d made Hank’s transition back to work easier and lessened some of his worries. He was so good with Cole, had been from day one.

“About another hour until dinner is ready.” Connor returned to the living room. “Should give us enough time to set up the tree.”

Hank sat Cole down on the floor to play with his toys before going over to join Connor who was trying to pry open the duct tape holding the Christmas tree box closed. Hank grabbed a box cutter out of one of the kitchen drawers.

“I believe they sell Christmas tree storage boxes now,” Connor said.

“Might need to pick one up. Don’t think this one will last.”

Sure enough, as soon as Hank cut through the tape, the box burst open, spilling various sections of tree at them. Connor grabbed one section and after determining it was the middle, set it aside. Hank managed to grab the top and also set it aside. As Connor grabbed the bottom section, Hank found the four legs.

“Where do you want it?” Hank asked.

“Over by the front window. I figured we could move the computer desk over a bit.”

Hank nodded. He went over to the computer desk and, after setting the tree legs down, heaved the desk over away from the window and closer to the front door. Connor smiled and moved over to the now open space with the tree base. Hank grabbed the legs and between the two of them, they managed to attach them and set the tree base upright. Connor knelt down and began fiddling with the branches, making them stick out from their squashed state from being crammed into their box.

Hank stopped to check on Cole who was watching them with rapt fascination, still gumming at the dreidel plush toy. Then Hank grabbed the middle section of the tree and secured it to the base. Connor connected the lighting wires and kept fluffing the branches out, making the partial tree look a little more tree like. Hank grabbed the top and attached it. As Connor continued his task, Hank went into the kitchen to find the plug-in timer to hook the tree up to.

“Here.” Hank handed the timer to Connor, who was closer to the outlet from where he was kneeling on the floor.

He plugged it into the wall and plugged the tree into it. Bright rainbow colored lights lit up the living room. Cole babbled excitedly.

“Yeah, you like the lights?” Connor asked, smiling at Cole.

Cole babbled more and shook the dreidel toy which again played the song as Cole smacked it against the ground. Hank began to laugh. It was all so wonderfully absurd and yet perfect all at once. His son and his boyfriend both bathed in the rainbow glow of Christmas lights while a children’s Chanukah song played from a tiny toy. Cole began to laugh at Hank’s laughter and soon Connor was laughing too.

“Our family is perfect,” Hank said, once he was able to talk again.

“Yeah it is,” Connor replied.

Hank pulled him to his feet and kissed him.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too.”

Thy shared another kiss before Connor returned them to their task. He grabbed one of the boxes of ornaments and began carefully pulling them out to hang on the tree. The two of them worked together, Hank reaching the higher branches of the tree when Connor couldn’t reach them as easily, until all the ornaments were up. Hank had placed most of his a little more spontaneously while Connor had tried to be strategic. Along the middle of three sat three ornaments: one featuring a picture of Hank as a child, another from the previous Christmas with infant Cole in his first ever Christmas outfit, and the last featuring a young Connor. Hank smiled at them, knowing Connor had placed them so they’d be the focal point of that part of the tree.

Connor smiled as he looked over the tree, happy with their handy work. The timer went off again and he dashed into the kitchen to check the stew. Hank sat back down on the couch, lifting Cole unto his lap.

“What’d’a think?” he asked.

Cole babbled happily. Hank took it to mean he approved.

“Dinner’s ready,” Connor called from the kitchen.

Hank carried Cole into the dining room, setting him in his high chair while Connor finished dishing up dinner. Hank grabbed a jar of baby food from the fridge and one of Cole’s little food trays, dishing up a couple spoonfuls of mushed peas and apple sauce for Cole to eat.

He and Connor took turns feeding Cole so they both could eat too. Cole seemed happy to have all the attention, making a mess of himself whenever he could, tiny fists covered in food.

“You are so messy,” Hank said, trying to use a wet wash cloth to clean Cole’s hands, even as his son tried to clean them himself by licking at the food on his fingers.

Cole babbled in response, mushing more food along his face. Hank set the wash cloth down and picked up Cole.

“Bath time for you,” he said.

“I’ll clean up here and set up the menorahs,” Connor said.

Hank nodded and headed upstairs. He went into Cole’s room first, laying him on the changing table and removing his now very dirty clothes. Once his dirty diaper was removed, Hank carried Cole into the bathroom. He held him while he set the water to the right temperature and then placed Cole in the tub as it filled with water.

“Don’t tell your other dad, but I got him a very special Chanukah gift,” Hank said as he began to bath Cole.

Cole babbled in what Hank assumed was agreement not to tell. Not that he actually could, but Hank could pretend. He figured it was one of the perks of having an infant son who couldn’t yet talk more than a couple words, he was good for keeping secrets.

Once Cole was cleaned up and dressed in clean clothes, Hank carried him back downstairs where Connor was waiting. Sitting in the living room window next to the tree was a small silver menorah. Next to it was a slightly bigger menorah, this one embellished with blue tiles in varying shades. Two small boxes of Chanukah candles sat a little further on as well as a box of matches.

“This one was mine,” Connor said, lightly touching the plain silver one. “My parents gave it to me before…”

Hank nodded. The “before they died” went unspoken.

“I bought this one for Cole. I know he isn’t hold enough to light it yet or understand all this, but I thought he should have one,” Connor continued, as he touched the blue tiled one.

“It’s beautiful and I’m sure in a couple of years, he’ll appreciate it.”

Connor smiled. He grabbed one of the box of candles and placed two in the smaller menorah, first one candle in the center and the other in far left spot. He did the same with the second set of candles.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this so I had to look up the blessings online.”

He set his phone on the window sill and after lighting the two center candles, “The shamash candles,” Connor explained, he handed one to Hank.

Connor pressed play on his phone and a video began to play, speaking the Hebrew blessing. Connor spoke along with the video. After the three blessings were done, Connor lit the candle on his menorah with the shamash. Hank did the same with the shamash Connor had given him, making sure Cole was watching as he did. Connor watched them with a smile, tears in his eyes.

“Thank you, for this,” he said, wiping at his eyes.

“Of course. I know how important some of this can be for you, passing on tradition. I want that for us, for Cole.”

Connor nodded his head. “After my parents died, it was hard to think about what would happen, what my future could be. But with you and Cole, there’s so much I want to share.”

Hank leaned forehead and kiss Connor’s forehead. He then handed Cole to Connor before kneeling down. He pulled a small box out of his pocket, the special gift he’d told Cole about. He opened it to reveal a plain silver band.

“Connor, will you marry me?” Hank asked.

Connor was already nodding before Hank finished his question. “Yes. Yes absolutely yes.”

Hank stood and pulled the ring from the box, slipping it onto Connor’s finger.

“I know it isn’t much, but it was my father’s.”

“It’s perfect and I love it and I love you.”

Connor pulled Hank close and kissed him as Cole babbled happily between them.

“I love you,” Connor said again.

“I love you, too.” Hank held Connor and Cole close. “Happy Chanukah.”

“Happy Chanukah.”

Cole babbled again, the sounds almost similar to those of his fathers’ words. They chuckled and kissed him.

“Happy Chanukah to you, too, baby boy,” Connor said.

Hank smiled at his fiancé and his son, his little family. The next night he was going to give Connor adoption papers so he could legally adopt Cole. He had other small gifts, like ink refills for Connor’s favorite pen and small bags of his favorite candy, but the first two nights were the most important gifts. Especially after everything Connor had given Hank. All the happiness and love. He couldn’t wait to spend many more holidays together, just the three of them. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on twitter on my dbh @hanktitty or on my main @5ftjewishcactus


End file.
